A Nightmare’s Requiem – Prologue: Silence before the Storm.

[Arhra]

Sharak lightly brushes against Leonidas he goes to his seat. It is nothing suspicious, just him running his hand along the back of Leonidas' seat as he passes and just lightly having his fingers brush against his fur. Sharak had also gone to help Elnayln but, seeing his help wasn't needed, had then gone to sit down. His delicate mind touch again senses no sign of taint. He was pleased, all those who would be sent on this quest were pure.

That blot of darkness he had snesed was troubling though. But, it was now gone and with th ewards about the hall now in place, it would not be able to return. He considers whether it would have been mor effective for him to speak as one of the Council and then join them later. That would have probably generated more suspicion however. The excuse of one of the Council being unavailable was not too unbelievable. He had already seeded stories of going to check on a distant town and had set up a decoy in his place while he returned in one of the fastest flying forms he could shift into. Settling back, he listens to what the Council has to say.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

To Quicksilver’s delight, a specially-formed chair pulled itself up to her, and she nestled into it as best as a hybrid centaur can possible. The owl anthromorph blinked benignly down at the seated beings and the council members waited patiently for them to settle, before they could continue.
After the due shuffling of chairs and positioning, the human council member opened his mouth again, and Quicksilver took time to admire his long, white locks of hair that fell braided down the front of his robes. His grey eyes scanned each individual briefly, beaming a welcome smile at each.
:Sharak, elder. Has there been any problems?: his silent telepathy passively penetrated the undercover shapeshifter’s mind unobtrusively. When Sharak gave a mental shake of a head, the human began.
“Those that have made it here today to this top-priority congregation, I am sincerely grateful for your appearance,” he paused for another dazzling smile, “but since our schedule has been pulled abruptly tighter than before, we, the Council, must cut ‘straight to the point’.”
“There has been further development of the approach of the encroaching darkness upon our peaceful colonisations,” a rather odd-looking shapeshifter continued, its eyes constantly switching from one delicate hue to another, “a week ago, another distant village has been engulfed completely by the evil. We have called you to, ironically, initiate a campaign that will rid Catharsis of the rotting presence.”
Another robed anthromorph – this time a sharp-eyed hawk – spoke up, his strong, tenor voice spreading comfortably into the hall. “We are in the process of selecting five strong (“And perhaps insane,” Quicksilver muttered at this.) individuals to embark upon an adventurous journey in order to save our citadel – and others – from the same fate that has befallen the village. You will be duly provisioned and escorted with two scores of our most elite soldiers. The party of five will have to split into two groups for the first part of this quest,” the raptor announced into a growing, uncomfortable silence. The third anthromorph, a rare breed of the sabre-tooth, purred softly and spoke, his bronze tail curling and twitching from under his robes.
“Unfortunately, that means all but five will leave without hearing the details of the campaign. We have cast about this Citadel for the most powerful individuals among us to embark upon this dangerous double-journey, and have found many,” the sabre-tooth’s smooth, oily voice swept over the congregated, “to come here today has demonstrated your willingness to protect our world at all costs from this abominating intrusion. You’re endeavours, whether failed or succeeded, will be duly rewarded by us. Therefore, without further ado,” the anthromorph purred softly, nodding towards a robed naga. The female serpent Polypedal slithered forward.
“The Councssssil callsssss upon the following individualssss to either accssssept or reject the offer to enter the party of five:
“... Aeria.
“... Leonidasssss Ioannisssss Arxsssileasss.
“... Drixsssen L’illith. [OOC: Sharak will be going under this name until Arhra sends me a protest PM :p]
“... Elnalyn Melorette Vahlgamine.
“... Kalia K’ressskhan Dassssthan.”
:Yeeup,: Dark commented dryly in Quicksilver’s mind, :Trouble’s ahead, alright.:
~~
Skranthas screamed in terror as the dark mage grabbed her white wings and yanked her from midair. In mere moments, the avian anthromorph was bound and blindfolded, ready as a sacrifice to the darkness.
“You will do,” the dark mage’s cold breath and words echoed in the terrified female’s ears as she felt herself being lifted and carried swiftly away from her village’s safety.

[Aeria]

Aeria was quick to respond, as she always was, and said in a loud voice for all to hear, "I, Aeria, will answer the call of those in need, whatever the danger. But why five only? Greater numbers of strong warriors would increase the chance of success."

She looked around at the others who belonged to the names given, "And why did you choose us five? This one is no more than a child," She waved her hand at the plant polyped that she had helped into the chair. Aeria, being a seasoned warrior was full of questions. Once she was given answers that satisfied her, she would forget the entire thing and focus on the mission. Once the mission began, there were no more questions, just instinct.

"Clearly, the best course would be to send the children home, and use all the warriors you can gather to fight." With her piece said, she waited for a response from the council, which didn't seem as wise as it was told to be.

[Astral Harmony]

Elnalyn didn't even smile. Another person who accused her of weakness just because of how she looked. Well, she was a child, but this woman was a warrior. How dare she place judgment on Elnalyn as being weak when a warrior's vow was never to underestimate their opponent, be it a giant demon from the depths of the vast Underworld or a small, malnourished Halfling with a sling in disrepair.

"I don't think the counsil would have selected a child without first knowing her strength." Elnalyn said with force. "It is unfortunate but I had simply decided against revealing my powers. Our enemies are strong, their eyes and senses everywhere, and we really shouldn't reveal our true potential until absolutely necessary."

Elnalyn raised her head and turned to Aeria. "Like you, warrioress, I have fought my battles and I have earned my name by the spilling of blood, the loss of life, and the ruination of families. I don't think I need to spill more to reinforce it."

She then turned her gaze downward, her eyes closed and her expression solemn. "I, Elnalyn Melorette Vahlgamine, shall not suffer the same deaths as you if this darkness consumes this realm. My essence is itself bonded with the nature of life. Horrible nightmares have infected my brain every night, and many, if not all of my kind and the others so bonded with nature, have succumbed to these abominable dreams every night we lay our head to rest. Something must be done and I will be the one who does something. I would not have come here if I was not ready to lay my life...no, my very essence, on the line. If I must prove myself to be the very will of all life forms so bonded with nature, then by all means, draw your sword, warrioress, and let my insurmountable will be known before all who will tell of my skill."

[Aeria]

[OOC] Oh crap! I forgot, I was GOING to respond and in my head I had, just forgot to actually submit :P
[/OOC]

Aeria looked down at Elnalyn and said "I have no wish to fight you child. I would just like to know if the council is absolutely certain that there has been no mistake. Could you give a demonstration of this power you claim to possess?"

Aeria had replaced her sword on her back, and stood facing Elnalyn, prepared to change whatever magic she could conjure up.

[Myishi]

(OOC: had to leave early, so ima edit in a bit at the end...shouldnt impact upon the next posts)

Leonidas had been observing the tension already occuring up to this exact moment. He sensed that this child has more than enough power to fight Aeria and probably defeat her, yet it would not be good for their morale should they start fighting already. He stood up and cleared his throat, attracting everyone's attention.

"Now please, is that anyway companions should be treating each other?" He intervened, his silky tounge cutting the tension. He faced Aeria first "Perhaps you should curb your impetousness while we are in conference. Save your enthusiasm for the battlefield." The then turned to the child "I do not expect you to not be indignant at those remarks, as you are but a child still. I, however, do not doubt your abilities. Please, take my apologies on behalf of anyone who may have offended you. Now, both of you calm down and lets get on with the meeting," He flashed a smile "Before i have to teach you both a lesson you won't forget any time soon. Listen to your elders now..."

He returned to his seat quietly. He knew those last comments would stir up some emotions, though he strongly doubted that anyone whished to challenge him. He turned to face the board members, speaking in a clear, succinct, confident voice:

"Since you have gone to the trouble of summoning me to this place, know this: I accept your quest, if only to find out if this enemy was the cause of my clans fall, and to prevent similar incdents. Know that you have both my strength and that of my ancestors." He sat down again after the short speech, receding back into the dephths of his consciousness...

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

Quicksilver's piercing eyes had followed every movement of the youngling called Elnalyn. :Note her for later scrutiny, Dark,: Quicksilver whispered into their shared minds. Dark gave a soft nuzzle with his beak and cocked his head, studiously studying Elnalyn, and committing certain aspects of the plant polypedal to mind. Then she 'uncurled' from her reclining seat and gave her vow, thinking I know I'll regret this before the day is over.
"I, Quicksilver Kalia, give my life and blood for this arduous journey that may result in the bloodshed of me and of many, or the triumph of our party and the world," she solemnly intoned, then on a lighter note, "My partner, Darkness Seeker-" she gave the raven's full name, "-will also vow to do what he must for the sake of his freedom and flight. He also requests a personal perch on which he can make a stand, rather than on my shoulder, which is feeling rather sore," she added after a mental prod from her familiar. The Owl anthromorph blinked and smiled, before waving a hand. Dark cawed with a satisfying flutter of his wings and settled on the lavishly furnished perch.
With another wave of her strangely splayed hands, the council member spoke again, "Those that have not been chosen, we apologise for the disruption caused in your daily schedule. As we have no immediate issues now concerning your welfare, you may leave at any time."
"Preferrably now," a moody-looking centaur piped up in a surprisingly high voice. The 20 or so of the summoned that weren't chosen began shifting among themselves uncomfortably before standing up and moving away from the seated 5.
"As for your question, lady Aeria," The human spoke with a dazzling smile, "we have found not only the purest, but the most suitable beings for this quest to aid us in defeating the universal enemy. No matter how young you may look, we look not in your appearance, but in your heart for the better being. Those that have just left," he indicated the retreating backs of the 15, "have not been chosen because of certain... flaws in their nature. They are interesting in only the welfare of themselves. But you, although not on the surface of your being, are pure in your interests of this world. Whether you have been touched by the hand of darkness itself, or have witnessed its destructive nature, we do not know. We only know one thing: that you are the right people for the right job." With that tone of finality that left perhaps even more questions unanswered, the human council ended his short speech.

OOC: I can't type anymore for now. Will continue post at a later time.

[Arhra]

This time being left open for questions, Sharak ventures a query, "When do we leave to go to this village?" He already knew the answer but it would be suspicious if he seemed so incurious of this quest. The shapechanger sits in his chair, expression introspective as he waits for an answer.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

“Patience, Sharak,” a shapeshifter hovered over the ground with six silver wings, laying its ever-changing-hues eyes upon the hidden council member as if Sharak was merely just another of the chosen, “all will be answered in due time,” it spread feathered arms, continuing in an eerie, bell-like voice, “your accommodation is taken care of as of now. Several rooms are being prepared even as I address you, with your ideal environments in place. But, for now, I must explain to you the extent of this campaign. Skillaasg?” the shapeshifter addressed an elaborately dressed door-guard, and the anthromorph dragon nodded an assent. More guards appeared and shut the great hall doors, as well as the smaller doors that led deeper into the great domed building. The great domed ceiling, which had, up to now, still been skilfully ripped open, hummed softly as it repaired itself, the avian images seen to be straining and seeming to push the large gape in the ceiling closed.
Quicksilver looked around and sent a shield-detecting probe snaking throughout the whole building. Where the doors had sealed, the protective ‘silence shields’ and other wards were locked firmly in place. Owing to her expertise with powerful shields, she knew that not even the combined force of five individuals would even make a dent in the shielding if they wished to escape.
“I hope you have a reason for sealing us in like this, as if we’re a threat to you too,” Quicksilver adopted an irritated voice, masking the slight claustrophobic feeling that surfaced within her, straining to unlock nasty past-experiences in tight spots. The shapeshifter flicked its silvery wings, and its smooth, pale face, which had up till now had no mouth, crinkled into a soft smile. Quicksilver had a distinct feeling of femininity emanating from the council member.
“We apologise for this sudden entombment, dear guests, but the information that we are to give you now is only for the ears of the Chosen few.
“Our intelligence has been informing us of the recent advancement of the Darkness, as well as searching for any weakness of the abomination to our world. They have risked many lives to bring back the vital soft-spots of our enemy, and we have decided that it is now that we shall put it into action. The Darkness – for now – has halted upon the very doorsteps of our peaceful reign, and is threatening to overwhelm our people. There is clear evidence that it is waiting for something, whether it is waiting for a powerful other-being, or a moment of weakness in our strong shields, we do not know yet. However, we do know this; that there is one single ray of hope that still resides within each one of us.”
“There is a certain artefact,” the sabre-tooth purred, picking up from the bell-voiced shapeshifter, “that will give the user power to destroy the encroaching darkness once and for all.”
“Unfortunately,” the shapeshifter picked up again, “the artefact has been split in two pieces. The only way of joining the two pieces is only by an Alchemist’s hands, (at this point, Quicksilver exotic green eyes widened and then narrowed) and it’s powers enhanced by one that is one with their elements (from the corner of Quicksilver’s eyes, she watched the other Polypedal carefully).”
“There is always a catch to these objects of power, though,” the human council member continued sadly, “It is to my regret that, in close examination before our informants were nigh-killed, if the other half of the artefact isn’t retrieved within ten days of the other, the two will simultaneously self-destruct and rip new chaos holes within our existing world.”
“Wait,” Quicksilver muttered, “does that mean that if we don’t split up, then we’d better prepare for a new Melding?”
“Quite possibly, yes,” the human replied gravely, “if they are retrieved within their own deadlines, then completing the artefact can take its time. If not,” the human spread his hands, his robes whispering as he raised his arms, “then the Darkness has its own enemy as well as ally. Our diverse culture and races will quite possibly not survive this time.”
“As to why you may think we have chosen an odd number for two parties, well,” the shapeshifter belled and looked meaningfully at Dark, who had suddenly become interested in his belly feathers and was grooming with extra fastidiousness. Quicksilver was not amused though. She now knew exactly what they chose her for, and her eyes narrowed.
“You want me, Dark and another individual to go for one which is in the deep recesses of the Darkness territory itself, don’t you?” she demanded disrespectfully, “I hope you know what you’re doing, or may my Shade haunt your halls forevermore lamenting your mistake.”
“Not what I quite expect of you, Quicksilver,” the human replied back almost as disrespectfully, “but since you’re good at picking things out, yes. You are the one that we were going to approach to be willing to set foot on enemy territory. Since your companion is qualified as an intelligent individual capable of great feats (even though we have not considerably included him in our list, regrettably), and even more so when in reach of his near-lifelong friend, you will only need one other being to accompany you on the somewhat arduous journey.
“As for Sharak’s question here, which I think we’ve somehow answered,” he turned to the hidden Council member, “of the separate routes taken, one of the two parties’ paths will cross with the decimated village. The other is heading to deep within the forests of Il’habahl in search of the other vital part to the artefact.”
“Which leads onto another interesting note,” the sabre-tooth purred again, “communication. After a careful and detailed discussion over this situation, it has been decided that we bring forth a well-tested prototype that can reach both members of the party over long distances. You will be given only one per party, and you must guard and handle the Silence Orb with care. Instructions on how to use it will be given on the day of departure, which would be preferably tomorrow. Each party will also be assigned 20 choice elite guards handpicked and trained for the job to accompany them. Though I know that this meagre number may not be enough to combat the full power of the Darkness once it has aroused, but the smaller the group, the less possibility of detection, and the less possibility of combat. We are straining that rule already. But for now, I know that most of you haven’t dined for quite a while already, and we have provided refreshments while we individual council members mingle and answer further individual questions.”
Then, with a final wave of her feathered arms, the owl anthromorph stepped forward and summoned the feast that had been waiting for the exact moment. Quicksilver was delighted that the council even catered for even her herbivorous tastes, as a delicate patch of sweet grass poked out of the marble floor and welcomed her with a tantalizing aroma. Though her human part causes her to have two separate digestive systems – one for her centaur part, one for her human half – she prefers to graze rather than eat fresh meat, cooked or not.
:Nice, isn’t it?: Dark’s mindvoice came into her head as she stooped to munch on the grass, :They even catered for me,: he added gleefully as he tore a bit of spiced meat off his perch and gulped it greedily.

[Myishi]

(OOC: hope i dont butcher any of youre characters...anyway, lame comedy attempt ahoy!)

Leonidas sat back, simply admiring the buffet laid out for them. All which had been said just then was meaningless; he was famished. He tucked into a leg of almost raw meat with gusto, almost simultaneously chewing and swallowing at the same time. It was Wilder ideology that dictated when one was faced with plentiful food, one must eat to compensate for future circumstances. Although his tribal days were long gone, he kept this ideology, if only to give him a reason for bolting down such vast amounts of food.Suddenly, a large half chewed hunk of bread he had grabbed and shoved into his mouth had lodged itself at the back of his throat. He coughed and spluttered a couple of times before grabbing the nearest cup of water and shooting it down his gullet.

He looked up to see the child from earlier staring at him, looking slightly confused at the sheer amount of food this smallish-looking wilder had just consumed. Leonidas returned the stare, then broke out into a grin from ear-to-ear, revealing his white fangs with a slight reddish hue due to the blood from the extremely rare meat. She began giggling, to which Leonidas joined in with some laughter. Before something large as this, it was always good to relax and have some fun.

"Leonidas, slow down. If you don't kill yourself choking, you'll surely kill someone with that mean look of yours" laughed a voice from his side. Quicksilver, the cenataur from before, was grazing on a small patch of grass supplied.
" Well, i don't know what you herbivores prefer, though you of all people should know that Wilder's always prepare for famine." He replied, drinking deeply from a cup of (unknown to him) strong liquor. He immediately felt the burning sensation fly down the back of his throat. Again, he began to splutter and choke, much to everyone's amusement.

"At this rate, you'll kill yourself before we even set out for the quest!" she laughed as she slapped him on the back. Leonidas took a slightly more serious tone when she mentioned their quest.

" yeah...hey, i was wondering...may i...accompany you for your leg of the trip? Not anything personal, i just feel something deep spiritually with you. Maybe it's your previous links with Wilders, i dont know...when we talked earlier, i just felt some connection. Now, I feel some strange sense, a need to be your protector during this quest..." for once, Leonidas seemed at a loss for words. even after 400 years of wandering and all his work negotiating, he would trip at situations like this. Quite embarrasing really. To his surprise, she leant forward and whispered in his ear:

"I think you've had a bit too much to drink and eat...what say you sleep it off for now, hm?"